NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Rural Development has clarified that eligible migrant laborers cannot be refused pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) simply because they are temporarily living outside their native villages for work. This information was provided to the Central Information Commission (CIC) during an RTI hearing.
The clarification arose from an RTI request regarding whether rural families migrating temporarily for employment could be excluded from PMAY-G and other rural welfare schemes.
According to a recent CIC ruling, the ministry stated, “there is no specific order/circular/rule from the Ministry of Rural Development that a family shall be denied PMAY-G benefits solely due to temporary residence outside their home for employment.” The ministry also mentioned that eligibility under PMAY-G follows the framework and guidelines set by the Centre, while implementation is managed by state governments.
The commission specifically inquired if any policy exists that precludes PMAY-G benefits for eligible beneficiaries living outside their native place. In response, the ministry confirmed, “no such rule/policy exists.” Beneficiaries are identified based on housing deprivation criteria using the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, with subsequent verification conducted by Gram Sabhas and through the established appeal process. Financial assistance is available to eligible rural households that are either homeless or residing in kutcha houses, subject to scheme guidelines.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi noted that the officials accurately described the factual situation related to the RTI application. The commission has instructed the Ministry of Rural Development and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation to provide a detailed point-wise response to the petitioner, including available factual data, relevant website links, and copies of pertinent policies and rules.
